Caught in the Storm
by JPM1978
Summary: When Miguel Castillo falls for the new girl at school, his father's past comes to haunt him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The original characters of Alison and Miguel Castillo (the teenage children of Martin Castillo and Gina Calabrese-Castillo) belong to RedRose85. Thanks to her for letting me use them and I hope I've done them justice!**

 **Miami Beach Senior High School, October 2006**

"Come on Miguel, Mom and Dad don't have to know if you don't tell them! They'll be working on that investigation late tonight again, so I'll be back home way before they will! I promise! You won't get in trouble, it's all on me!" Alison Castillo begged her older brother as they walked through the hallways of Miami Beach Senior High School.

Sixteen year old Miguel Castillo shook his head. "No way! Alison, you're barely fourteen years old! You have no idea what goes on at those parties. And you really think Dad won't be all over me if he finds out?"

Ali rolled her eyes. "Oh, like _you_ know what goes on those parties? A wild night for you involves your violin and a math textbook. This is your junior year of high school when are you going to loosen up and actually have some fun?" She paused at the door to her chemistry class and poked her brother in the chest with her finger angrily, ignoring the look of hurt on his face. "This isn't over yet!"

Miguel sighed. It wasn't always easy being an older brother to Ali. Now that she was in high school she wanted to do nothing but socialize and party, but he wasn't about to see her get in trouble. She was just a kid! But at the same time it sometimes felt unfair that his parents put so much responsibility on him. His stoic personality stood in stark contrast to his sister who wore her heart on her sleeve. Adults always remarked that Ali was so fun and outgoing, but no one would ever, ever say that about him. Sure, they'd say he was quiet, serious, focused, and smart. "Miguel, you are just like your father," they'd say with admiration. And as much as he looked up to his father, a well-respected captain in the Miami Police Department Organized Crime Bureau, sometimes he wished he were more like his sister. Being so damn sensible all the time made life lonely.

Nervously, he glanced at his watch. In just two minutes the fifth period bell would ring, and he hated being late. Breathlessly, he pulled open the door to his calculus class and saw his teacher, Mrs. Connolly look up at him from her desk at the front of the room. "Miguel, can I talk to you for a minute?"

His heart started to pound and he hoped he wasn't sweating. What did she want to talk about? He immediately thought back to the test he took the day before, he thought he had done well. Math had always been his strongest subject which was why he had been a year ahead of the rest of his classmates. He took a deep breath and tried to look relaxed. "Sure, Mrs. C!"

As he set down his backpack, he noticed an unfamiliar girl standing beside his teacher's desk. Immediately he was struck by her crystal-clear blue eyes. She wasn't tall, maybe five foot three at the most, and had wavy sandy blonde hair and a few freckles on her nose. She also had a smile that lit up her whole face.

"Sophia, I'd like you to meet Miguel Castillo. He's a junior like you and one of my best students. Miguel, this is Sophia Menton. She's new to our school and I would really appreciate it if you could spend some time with her and help her get caught up in our class. I figured I could count on you."

"Sure!" Miguel realized right away with embarrassment that perhaps he sounded a bit overly enthusiastic.

"Oh fantastic! Thank you, Miguel. Why don't you two find your seats and you can get acquainted right after class."

Miguel tried hard to concentrate during class, but he kept trying to steal glances at Sophia. He had always been too shy to ask a girl out, and was often so busy with school and orchestra that he didn't give a lot of thought to dating. But there was something about her that he found himself drawn to. The bell finally rang, he was happy to see Sophia's bright smile waiting for him just outside the classroom door.

"Hi!" She greeted him. "Miguel, right? That's a cool name! We just moved here from Washington DC. Wow, it's hot here for October! But I sure won't miss the snow in the winter!" He could tell right away that she was the talkative type, which he appreciated since it took the pressure off him to carry the conversation.

"It stays warm here pretty much year round, sometimes a little too hot," he replied. "So, um, we have a math test on Tuesday, if you want to meet in the library after school we can go over the study guide?"

"OK!" her face spread into a bright grin. "Thanks Miguel, for offering to help. Calculus was my best subject at my old school but you guys are a little ahead of us."

"No problem," he answered, once again trying not to seem overly enthusiastic. "Where's your next class?"

"The music room, I play the clarinet."

"Hey, me too!" he responded excitedly, then tried to contain himself. "I mean, I have the same class but I play the violin."

"Great! You can help me find the class. This place is like a maze!"

"Where did you move from?"

"Washington DC. My dad just started working out here."

Finally, they arrived at the door of the music room. "I guess since we have our last class together we can just walk to the library together after the bell. I mean, if you want…" Miguel said shyly.

She patted him on the back enthusiastically. "It's a date!"


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't think you'll have any problem on the test, you really know your stuff!" Miguel remarked that afternoon in the library.

There was that electrifying smile again. "Thanks, Miguel. You've been really helpful." Sophia laughed a bit. "And hey, this is the closest I've had to a date in a long time!"

He laughed with her. "Well, you know there's nothing more romantic than integrals. And this is the closest I've _ever_ had to a date!"

"What? I can't believe that!"

He shrugged. "Unfortunately it's true."

"Well, I know you're good at math, and your the best violinist I've heard, but what else should I know about the mysterious Miguel Castillo?"

Miguel couldn't understand where this was going. Why would anyone be interested in him? "Well my sister and the entire football team like to point out what a boring nerd I am on a daily basis. I'm allergic to bee stings and shellfish, without my glasses I'd probably need a cane and a dog. I'd rather stay home and read a book than go to a wild party. I guess my life is really, really glamorous."

"So no shrimp cocktails or beekeeping for you, gotcha. Well, I think you're adorable. No matter what those stupid jocks say, it hasn't stopped you from being who you are. And trust me, there is nothing sexier than a man who knows an integral from a derivative."

Miguel was surprised, he had never considered himself adorable. He was eager to shift the conversation away from himself. "What about you? What do I need to know about Sophia Menton?"

"Oh, where to start? When I'm home alone I sing as loud as possible. I've seen the movie Grease at least 500 times, and I've read every single Harry Potter book multiple times. I make a killer banana bread, and the only pet I've ever had is a turtle. Anything else?"

He grinned at her and she grinned back. She was funny, loud and quirky, everything he wasn't. So why was he finding himself more and more attracted to her?

She paused a moment, glanced around the room as if to make sure nobody was looking, and looked deep in his eyes, lowering her voice just above a whisper. "Will you kiss me, Miguel?"

Miguel's eyes widened and he sat frozen for a moment. Was she serious?

She grinned at him. "Come on, I don't ask that from every guy who helps me with math."

She was serious! He felt himself physically drawn to her. He wrapped an arm around her and tentatively brought his lips to hers in a soft kiss. When he felt her melt against him, their slowly increasing in intensity and passion. Slowly they pulled away, arms still wrapped around each other. His heart was racing and found himself out of breath. He hoped he hadn't made a huge mistake.

She smiled as if she could read his thoughts. "I really like you, Miguel." She pressed her forehead against his.

He smiled back. "I liked you the minute I saw you."


	3. Chapter 3

At first, his friends were surprised that their romance progressed so quickly. At first it felt foreign to introduce Sophia as his girlfriend, but eventually it just felt natural. They now had their own inside jokes and could make each other laugh until their sides hurt. Sometimes this attracted quite a lot of attention at school since, like his father, Miguel was known for his trademark seriousness. He found his weekends no longer lonely, as he and Sophia would go to the movies or just spend hours sitting on the beach, talking and watching the sun go down. He felt like he could share anything with her.

"Hey big brother!" Ali called from the kitchen one afternoon as he entered the front door and set down his backpack.

"Hi Ali!" He replied, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge.

"You're awfully cheerful lately. Look at you, using a glass instead of drinking straight out of the carton, and you actually smell good all the time. Someone's classing my brother up! Does that have anything to do with that girl I see you with all the time? Hmmm? I saw you two holding hands in the hall."

"'That girl' has a name… Sophia Menton. She's new. I was helping her get caught up in calculus and found out we have a lot in common. She plays the clarinet in the orchestra. It's hard to find a girl that appreciates Tchaikovsky the way I do."

Ali rolled her eyes. "I don't need to hear _all_ the details of your nerdy sex life, Miguel," She teased.

Just then Gina entered the room with Martin. "Ali!" She scolded gently. "Don't tease your brother. Sophia sounds very sweet, Miguel. We're looking forward to meeting her!"

"Wait, she's coming here? When?" Ali asked, clearly caught off guard.

"This weekend. Dad and I wanted to meet her so Miguel invited her to dinner."

"Yeah, and there better not be any embarrassing comments from certain individuals." Miguel gave Ali a pointed stare.

"Me? I would never embarrass my big brother!" She said in an mock-innocent voice. "I wouldn't want her to find out about the time you threw up in front of the whole class in second grade. Or about the time I caught you shaving with my pink razor. Or that time you had that 'little accident' in the middle of a t-ball game. Or…"

Miguel shook his head. "You know it wouldn't kill you to say something nice about me."

"What? I say nice stuff about you all the time!"

"Oh really? When?"

"Don't you remember? Last Saturday when we had dinner with Aunt Rose!"

"Are you referring to when you said that I'd make a really pretty girl?"

"But you totally would!"

"Alison," Martin warned. He didn't raise his voice, when Martin used his stern, warning voice there was no need for him to be loud.

"Oh fine, I'm just kidding." Ali smiled and winked at her brother. "She's cute, Miguel, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, sis."

Dinner with Sophia went great since she immediately hit it off with his parents. It turned out she had spent some of her early childhood living in Japan, so she shared a lot of experiences with Martin. And she loved Gina's cooking and even asked if she wouldn't mind teaching her some Cuban recipes sometime.

Things were going so well, Miguel had never been so happy. He had never minded being alone before, but now when Sophia wasn't around he felt himself aching for her.

He was anxious to meet her father, but it seemed he was always working late or out of town. He wondered what exactly he did for a living.

One afternoon after school, he walked Sophia home. He was planning to kiss her goodbye on the front porch as usual, but to his surprise she asked him inside.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be here?" Miguel hesitantly stepped inside Sophia's house. His own parents had a hard and fast rule that he and Ali could not have friends of the opposite sex over if they were not home.

"Nah, my dad doesn't care. He's out of town on business all the time anyway. He won't be back until Friday."

Miguel was impressed. His parents had never left him and Ali home alone overnight, no less for several days. And he was certain that they would not approve of where he was at the moment. She lead him upstairs and opened the door to her room which was in a bit of a disarray. His own father would probably get hives just looking at that mess.

"Sorry about all the boxes, Dad and I are still unpacking."

"No problem. Hey, you never mention your mom. Is she still in Washington?"

Sophia looked away sadly and Miguel hoped he had not brought up a touchy subject. "She died when I was little. It's just been me and Dad as long as I can remember."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No worries! It was a long time ago." She sat beside him on the bed. "Hey, will you show me how to play the violin?"

He was surprised. "You want me to teach you? I've never taught before…." He was picky about who touched his violin, but he figured a fellow musician like Sophia would be safe.

"Sure! I've played clarinet for 7 years now, but I've always wanted to try a string instrument."

He carefully removed his violin from its case. Patiently he explained how to hold the bow and the instrument. She was a natural, and it was fun to be with someone who truly shared his passion for classical music.

After her brief lesson, she asked him to play something. He was shy about playing solo for others, but he played her a little of one of his favorite sonatas by Bach. As he finished, he found himself captivated once again by her eyes, as if she were wordlessly begging to be kissed, and he graciously obliged. The intensity of their kissing increased and she pulled him to lay beside her. The feel of her body pressed close to his was intoxicating. Suddenly, he pulled away, trying to catch his breath.

"We shouldn't…"

She looked at him and smoothed the back of his head with her hand. "We _should._ " Slowly she removed her shirt and skirt, and before he could realize what happened, began helping him out of his clothes.

He knew this was wrong, but his body was saying otherwise. "Sophia, I… I mean, well… I've never…."

"It's okay, Miguel. I know. But I really want to be with you." She smiled at him and carefully took his hands in hers. "Do you want it too? I'm ready if you are."

He had never wanted anything more in his nearly 17 years. He nodded then finally was able to get the words out, "Yes, but I don't have anything with me…" Since he never thought the opportunity would present itself, Miguel was not the kind of guy who carried a condom around.

She kissed him once more, briefly, and reached into her nightstand drawer. "I'm like a girl scout," she said grinning. "Always prepared."

Once she had removed his clothes and he recovered from the initial shock that this was actually happening, Miguel allowed his hands to gently wander down her body. Despite his inexperience, her reactions and gentle guidance helped him find what she enjoyed. For that time, the entire world was just the two of them, until both were left breathless.

They both lay quietly for what seemed like an eternity. Finally she rolled over onto him and ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you, Miguel," she purred.

"I love you too Sophia." For that moment, everything was perfect and his heart was content. It was a feeling he wanted to cling to forever.

Somehow he had always thought he would feel like a different person after his first time being with a girl, but surprisingly nothing had changed, although he wasn't quite sure what he had expected. Miguel suddenly became worried as he approached his house. If his parents found out that he had been alone with Sophia at her house, he would be in for a long, embarrassing lecture. He felt the same, but would they be able to look at him and tell? It seemed like his father could sense when he had done something wrong so he was relieved to find his car not in the driveway yet.

"Hey big brother!" Called a voice from the kitchen as he entered the house.

Ali. She seemed to share their father's sixth sense and the last thing he needed was her holding that kind of information over his head. He straightened himself up and took a deep breath, preparing to look as natural as possible. "Hey sis! What's up?"

Ali stood at the kitchen counter, peeling an orange. "Not much. I didn't see you after school today at the library, where did you go?"

"No...nowhere, where would I go?" He stammered, mindlessly rooting through the refrigerator to avoid eye contact.

Ali looked confused. "Um, well, you had to be somewhere. I mean, you weren't here. I thought maybe you had rehearsal or something."

Miguel nodded, trying to appear confident. He hoped he wasn't sweating. "Oh... Yeah, that's where I was."

"Why are you acting so weird?"

"I'm not!" He realized he was beginning to sound overly defensive. "I... I just need to get started on homework." Miguel picked up his backpack and was about to head upstairs when Ali touched his collar.

"What's this? Some sort of red stain? And why is your shirt so wrinkled? And your hair looks like you just woke up. You're a bigger mess than usual."

He examined his shirt collar. "Oh, um, must be ketchup. From lunch."

"That's not ketchup, you hate ketchup." Ali narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. He could almost see her mind working. "It's lipstick! You were with Sophia! Making out with her? Alone?" She gasped, covered her mouth with her hands and took a step back as though she just realized something horrifying. "Oh my God, Miguel! Did you..."

His face felt red hot. "Mind your own business, Ali!"

Alison held her hands up in front of herself. "Oh believe me, I do not want to hear any more details about that. I'll have nightmares for weeks. But... You were careful, weren't you?"

"Of course, I'm not an idiot."

"Well thank goodness. How scary would it be to have a bunch of little Miguels running around?"

He sighed. "Very funny. You'd better not say a word to Mom and Dad!"

Ali smiled mischievously. "Aw but I'm sure Dad wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to have another sex talk with you. I'm sure Mom will have a few reminders for you also."

"Alison Elena! I swear if you say a word..."

"Oh alright. I can be convinced to keep quiet. What's in it for me?"

Miguel was thoughtful for a moment, then a smile spread across his face. "How about I just tell Mom and Dad that when they thought you were hanging out with Veronica last weekend you were really at Jake Ballard's party? Mom probably should really give you a refresher sex and alcohol talk. That would totally make us even! Does that work?"

Ali frowned. "Alright Romeo, your secret is safe with me."

He grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter and patted his sister on the back. "I thought so."


	4. Chapter 4

One humid afternoon, the two walked home as usual hand in hand. Prom was coming, and of course Miguel and Sophia had planned to go together. He wasn't much of a dancer, but looked forward to spending a romantic evening with her.

"So my dress is bright purple. What do you say, will you wear a purple tie to match? Oh! What about a purple suit? That would be so fun!" She laughed excitedly.

"Purple?" Miguel laughed, raising an eyebrow. "I was thinking something more along the lines of black. With a black tie."

Sophia laughed and gave him a playful shove and adjusted his collar as they paused in her front yard. "We really need to work on your fashion sense! You practically wear the same thing every day, there is no way I'm letting you wear a boring black suit to prom! I'm thinking a shirt with lots of ruffles! And bell-bottoms! Think John Travolta in his disco phase..."

He shook his head, still laughing. "Ruffles? Disco?"

She winked. "It's a good thing you're cute. I thought you said you'd do anything for me?"

"Well, anything but bell bottoms." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, raising an eyebrow suggestively. "Besides, I'd rather wear nothing at all with you around."

"Hmmm, well, I think that might be against the dress code, but since my dad's not here..." She stood on her toes to kiss him just as a car pulled in the driveway.

"Hey Dad!" Sophia called, waving excitedly as a short, stocky man with greying hair exited the car and walked toward them smiling. "You finally get to meet Miguel! Miguel, this is my dad, Dale." Although he was a bit disappointed that they wouldn't be spending the afternoon alone, Miguel was pleasantly surprised to finally meet Sophia's elusive father. It had been strange to have been dating her for all this time and never crossing paths with her family.

"Nice to meet you, sir!" Miguel held out his hand politely and saw the smile fade from Mr. Menton's face as he looked him up and down. His expression was one of shock, and he paled as though he had seen a ghost. Miguel looked down at his shirt to make sure there wasn't a stain on it and awkwardly put his hand down when it became obvious he was not going to shake it.

Sophia didn't seem to notice her father's strange reaction. "I'll be right back, okay Miguel? Then we can go for a walk on the beach!" She kissed him on the cheek and ran off toward the house, leaving him under Mr. Menton's disapproving stare. He felt as though those eyes were burning right through his soul.

Mr. Menton's eyes narrowed. "What's your last name, boy?" He asked suspiciously.

Miguel hesitated to answer, as though he forgot his own name. "C-Castillo, sir. My last name is Castillo."

Menton grabbed him by the shirt collar. His face was just inches away and Miguel could feel his hot breath and he spoke through gritted teeth. "Now you listen to me kid. Get away from my daughter. I'd better not see you within 100 feet of her!" Forcefully he threw Miguel to the ground.

Shaking, Miguel struggled to get to his feet. If this had been some jock at school, he wouldn't have hesitated to strike back. After all, his father had taught him some advanced martial arts skills. But Mr. Menton was an adult, and an intimidating one at that. "Sir, I don't understand…"

Menton grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. "If I see you anywhere near Sophia, I will kill you. Without hesitation. You understand?" He growled. "You're damn lucky I don't break your neck right here and now."

Miguel's heart was pounding. The words 'I will kill you' echoed in his mind, and he got the distinct impression that Menton meant what he said. He desperately wanted to find Sophia, gather her in his arms and run far away with her, but he didn't dare. He ran in the other direction and didn't look back.

He felt like a coward.


	5. Chapter 5

After putting a safe distance between himself and Sophia's home, Miguel headed over to the marina. He had promised his parents he would walk Ali home after her sailing lesson with Sonny, but could not stop thinking about the look on Dale Menton's face and the words he had spoken. It was beyond dislike for his teenage daughter's boyfriend. He had threatened to kill him!

Still, the thought of being forced apart from Sophia was painful. His feelings for her were far more than physical, nobody had ever made him laugh like she did, and they never seemed to run out of things to talk about. He couldn't help but feel that she brought out the best in him. it would have been one thing if they had broken up over some disagreement, but to be forced apart…He never truly understood what it meant to have a broken heart until now.

"Hey Miguel!" Sonny waved from the deck of the St. Virus Dance. Sonny Crocket was godfather to both Castillo children, and the sailboat was like their second home. Sonny was always willing to lend an ear to Miguel and Ali and he loved them both as his own.

Ali, who was busy tying a knot, peeked her head up. "Hi big brother!"

Miguel did his best to look like nothing was wrong and waved back to his sister and godfather as he stepped aboard the boat.

"I'll be right back, ok?" Ali quickly ducked below deck.

Miguel nodded. He made sure his feet were a safe distance from Elvis and sat quietly, staring at his hands.

Sonny glanced at him. "Something eating you, kid?"

Miguel shook his head. "It's nothing," he answered quietly.

Ali reappeared. "Uh oh, did you have a fight with your girlfriend?"

Sonny raised an eyebrow and turned to Miguel. "Girlfriend?" He asked, his eyes giving a hint of amusement.

"Yeah," Ali replied, "Sophia Menton… she's new, just moved here from Washington DC. They're together all the time!" Then, noticing the look on her brother's face, she sat beside him. "Something did happen, didn't it?"

Miguel nodded. He hadn't felt like talking, but he found himself surrounded. There was no hiding the "I met her dad a little while ago. He took one look at me, asked me my last name, and told me to stay away from her. So that's it."

Sonny rubbed Miguel's back. "That's lousy, kiddo."

"What's that guy's deal? Is he racist? Who wouldn't like you?" Ali was getting fired up.

Miguel shrugged. "That's one possibility, I guess. He looked me up and down, asked me what my last name is and flipped out. I know she had at least told him my first name was Miguel, did he honestly think I was going to be Scandinavian or something?"

Sonny narrowed his eyes. The detective in him had never completely retired, and his wheels were already spinning. "Wait a minute. What did you say your girlfriend's last name was?"

"Menton," Miguel responded. "Why?"

Sonny's eyes widened. "Is her father's name Dale Menton?" Sonny was already picturing that little weasel from the last time he had seen him over 20 years ago.

"Yeah," Miguel looked confused and a little frightened. "Why? Uncle Sonny, how do you know?"

"Shit," Sonny said running his fingers through his hair. "Kid, did your dad ever tell you about his time working for the DEA in Thailand?"

Miguel shook his head. "No, not much. Mom always says that he'll tell us about it when we're older."

Ali chimed in, "Yeah, I don't think Dad likes to talk about it."

"Can't blame him. He should really tell you about it himself, but… Dale Menton worked for the CIA at that time. His agency didn't like what your dad and his team were doing, ambushing mule trains of heroin shipments coming out of the Thai mountains. One time, he gave away your dad's position and he was ambushed. His entire team was killed and his home bombed. Your dad nearly died himself."

Miguel's eyes widened in shocked and Ali gasped.

Sonny strategically left out the part about Martin's ex-wife, May Ying. "Five years later, Menton resurfaced in Miami with the same drug lord your dad had tried to take down in Thailand. We eventually busted them both for conspiracy to commit murder."

Miguel and Ali exchanged a shocked glance. "Sophia's dad tried to kill my father in Thailand? No… There has to be a mistake. Maybe it's a different Dale Menton?" Miguel asked hopefully.

"Short pudgy, loudmouth guy with crazy eyes?" Sonny asked.

Miguel put his head in his hands and made a sound somewhere between a groan and a whimper. "It just figures. I finally meet someone I can talk to, really, really talk to, and her father is mortal enemies with mine. Great. I guess that explains why he threatened to kill me."

Sonny leaned closer with a grave expression on his face. "He threatened to kill you?"

Miguel nodded.

"Your parents need to know about this. Miguel, this man is dangerous." Sonny's eyes confirmed what Miguel really already knew. Mention would indeed kill him given half the chance.

Ali put an arm around him. "C'mon. let's go home. Maybe Dad can shed some light on it for you."

The walk back from Sonny's boat was a quiet one.

"You okay, big brother?" Ali asked, trying to break the silence.

Miguel stopped and turned to look out toward the water. "I really liked her, I felt a real connection to her. Ali, I really think I loved her."

She put her arm around her brother. "Look Miguel, I'm sorry. I really am."

They continued their walk in silence. When they reached their house, Miguel walked in the door first. Their parents were in the kitchen and rushed over to the entry to meet them, but Miguel walked right past without making eye contact. Sonny must have tipped them off.

"Miguel, let's talk." Martin said.

Miguel didn't look at his father and kept walking up the stairs to his room. "No. Everybody just leave me alone!" He shouted, his feet thundering up the spiral staircase that formed the centerpiece of the Castillo home.

Ali could hear the door to his room slam.

Her parents turned to her. "Ali, what happened? How is he?" Gina asked. Her tired eyes were full of worry.

Ali sighed. "He really loved this girl, Mom. You guys know Miguel. He doesn't have a ton of friends but those two really clicked. He's pretty devastated."

Martin sighed deeply and Gina put an arm around him.

"It's not your fault, Dad. I don't think he's really mad at you," Ali tried to reassure him.

"Go talk to him alone, Martin," Gina urged

Martin nodded and headed upstairs. Through the closed bedroom door, he could hear the sound of Miguel playing scales on his violin. When he was upset, his music often soothed him. Quietly, Martin knocked on the door.

"Go away, Ali" shouted the voice from inside.

Martin opened the door a little and poked his head in. "Son, I'd like to talk to you for a moment." His normally gruff voice was soft and soothing, yet still firm.

Miguel rolled his eyes and set his violin and bow on his desk. "What?" Instantly he braced himself for a stern reprimand from his father. Martin did not normally tolerate disrespectful attitudes from his children.

Instead, Martin remained quiet for a moment and studied his son. He remembered very clearly what it felt like to be young and in love. When had his little boy become a young man? If Miguel took off his glasses, Martin would have felt as though he was looking at a mirror image of himself at that age. It was probably the reason Menton had been so suspicious upon meeting Miguel. Martin had been just a few years older when he had gone halfway around the world and met first Dale Menton in Southeast Asia. In less than two years, Miguel himself would be off to college, hopefully on his way to a more stable life than Martin had lived. He had never wanted his children to be affected by his past, but more and more fate had deemed that impossible.

Martin sat on the edge of Miguel's bed. "I've seen too many people I love hurt by enemies from my past. I had hoped it would never happen to you and Ali. Sonny told you about Menton?"

He made eye contact with Martin. "Yeah, he did. A little. I had no idea that happened, Dad."

"Someday I'll tell you and Alison everything that happened over there. And Im very sorry that this has happened to you."

Miguel nodded. He knew there were many more secrets in his father's past, but he also knew better than to push his father to tell him more. He rubbed his face and replaced his glasses. He was thoughtfully quiet for a long minute, then finally spoke. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault, Dad. Menton's the one I should be angry at, for more than one reason."

Martin was quiet for a moment. He was selective about when he showed emotion, but he didn't want Miguel to feel alone as he so often had. "I know it's hard to lose someone you love, especially when that love is taken from you. Please Miguel, be careful of Menton. He can be dangerous. I know you're hurting now but I don't want him to cause more damage."

He nodded. "I understand Dad."

Martin put his hand on Miguel's shoulder. "Mom and I love you very much, son."

Miguel looked at the floor quietly as his dad left the room. He knew what he had to do. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Sophia's number. Part of him hoped she wouldn't answer, but she did.

"Hi Miguel!" She answered cheerfully. "I'm glad you called, I'm sorry about…"

He cut her off and got right to the point. "I can't see you anymore, Sophia."

There was a long pause. "Miguel, if it's about my dad, don't listen to him! He's crazy, I don't want to say goodbye to you."

"I just don't think it will work out." He tried to keep his voice as cold and emotionless as possible. He didn't know how else to do this.

"No, Miguel…"

He cut her off by hanging up. His stomach felt like it was about to go into reverse.


	6. Chapter 6

That night Miguel hardly slept, and the next day at school was difficult to navigate. Since he and Sophia shared two classes, it was impossible for him to avoid her completely. In calculus he managed to avoid eye contact, and in orchestra he simply looked only at his sheet music and the conductor, avoiding the wind section altogether.

Leaving school, he could hear her voice calling him, and even though it physically ached to do so, he pretended not to hear. However, she was persistent and followed him.

"Please Miguel, can't we talk?"

He stopped walking and sighed deeply. He turned to face her. "Fine. What do you want?"

She crossed her arms in frustration. "This isn't the Miguel Castillo I fell in love with. That Miguel would never ignore me like this. I told you, my father is insane. He won't tell me why he doesn't want me to see you, but I don't care what he says!"

"It's not that simple. Goodbye Sophia, I'm sorry." Miguel turned and kept walking.

Miguel walked home as quickly as possible, dropped his stuff in the foyer and closed the door to his room. He didn't feel like starting homework, and instead lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, trying to think of anything but Sophia. The lack of sleep the night before must have caught up with him because his eyes started to feel heavy as he drifted off to sleep. Not even twenty minutes later, he was startled awake by the sound of his door flying open. He sat up with a start to see Ali standing at the foot of his bed, arms crossed.

"What the hell, Ali? Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" He yelled.

"What the hell is wrong with _you,_ Miguel? I ran into Sophia after school. She was practically hysterical! She told me what you've been doing. Why are you being such a jackass?"

"Mind your own business. We broke up, that's it! What more do you want?"

"That's so typical of you. You're upset so you push everyone away. Well guess what, she's hurting too. And her father may be an awful guy, but she had nothing to do with that! I think you're being really unfair."

"He threatened to kill me, Alison. Kill!" Miguel emphasized. "And Sonny and Dad told me this guy is no joke. I loved her, but I value my life! Besides, I think my loyalty to my father takes precedence over anyone else. Ali, neither of us really knows what happened to Dad in Thailand!"

"You're right, and I know he's dangerous, and I'm not saying you should see her behind his back. But shouldn't you at least let her have a chance to _talk_ to you? Shouldn't you have explained everything? If some guy had sex with me and then dumped me without any kind of explanation, I can only imagine what you would do to him. She didn't even know about the situation with our fathers until this afternoon, and I was the one who had to tell her about it. Shouldn't you have been the one to do that?"

Miguel didn't answer, but he knew his sister was right.

"I told her you'd call her and I hope you'll do the right thing, big brother." Ali stepped out of his room, closing the door behind her.

Miguel stood by the waterfront, watching the boats sail by in the sunset, a gentle breeze blew through his hair. Part of him felt like he should not be there, that he was betraying his father in some way, and he was a bit paranoid about Menton. But he had loved Sophia, and no matter what, she would always be his first love. Ali was right, he owed her this.

He could sense a familiar presence behind him, and he turned around to face Sophia.

"Hey," she greeted him so quietly he could barely hear her. In all the time he had known her, he had not known her to be quiet. "I'm glad you made it."

He gave her a half-smile. "Well, Ali can be pretty convincing."

She smiled back. "You two are lucky to have one another."

He nodded. "Yeah, most of the time. Look, Sophia, I'm really sorry. I've been such a jerk today."

She shook her head and took his hands in hers. "No, Miguel, I'm sorry. The things my dad did… to you and your family, they are inexcusable. I never really knew what his job really was and now it just makes me sick. Miguel, I… I'm crazy about you. Whatever happened between your dad and mine…. it's not us. It's not me. I'd never, ever do anything to hurt you." She hugged him tightly, feeling safe and loved in his arms as she had never felt before. "And I know my dad talks a big talk, but he won't hurt you. I won't let him," she added defiantly.

He ran his hand along her back, feeling the smoothness of her hair and the warmth of her body against his. Despite everything in their parents' past, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were made for one another. His quiet gentleness seemed to ground her and her exuberance brought him to life. He kissed her softly. "I... I can't open up to just anyone, and there is nobody I would rather be with. "

She placed her hand on his cheek and looked deep into his eyes with her expression-filled blue eyes. They seemed to resemble pools with endless depth. "I have to hurry home before my dad finds me gone. But… tell me this doesn't have to end. I'll talk to him, I'll make him see who you really are!"

He took her hand in his and kissed it before she turned to walk away. Suddenly both froze in place. There, in front of them was Dale Menton, pointing a gun squarely at Miguel.

"Menton!" Miguel gasped under his breath.

"Dad! What are you doing?" Sophia screamed in terror.

"Get away from him Sophia! You're just like your father, kid! You don't know when to back off, even for your own good! Martin Castillo took everything from me twenty years ago, now I'm finally going to take everything from him!"

"No!" Sophia screamed, jumping at Miguel and pushing him to the ground just as Menton fired.

"Sophia!" Miguel cried, slowly realizing in horror that the blood covering him was hers and not his own. He cradled her small body in his arms. "No…" He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed 911, pleading with them to hurry as he removed his coat and pressed it against the wound in her chest in a desperate attempt to stop her bleeding. He looked up at Dale Menton, who stared back and was frozen still with a look of disbelief on his face. Onlookers at the waterfront scattered and screamed. Sirens rang out in the distance. "Hang on, sweetie, please hang on…I love you…" he pleaded.

Her breathing was shallow, but she managed to open her eyes for a moment. "I love you too, Miguel, I'm sorry," her voice was barely a whisper. She reached up slowly to touch his cheek for just a second before her body went limp.

"No… no, Sophia!" he cried, holding her body close. Menton slowly approached as though in a trance. He knelt and put a hand on his daughter's forehead. Miguel's anguish melted into rage as he met eyes with Menton.

"You want to kill me? Fine! Do it! What are you waiting for? You think having my blood on your hands will make up for whatever happened before I was even born?" He gestured to Sophia's body. "Was this worth it? Just kill me too, then maybe you'll finally feel even!"

Martin and Gina ran up, weapons drawn. "Freeze Menton! Miguel, get away from him!" Gina cried grabbing Miguel's wrist, but Miguel was frozen in place, eyes locked with Menton, refusing to let go of Sophia.

Billy dove in and reached to check Sophia's pulse. "She's gone," he said regretfully.

Martin looked sympathetically from Sophia back to his son. Fire burned in his eyes as he turned to Menton. He pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. "Dale Menton, you're under arrest for the murder of your daughter."

This time he put up no fight.

The paramedics approached and Gina knelt beside her son and took his hand. "Come on Miguel. You need to let her go." Miguel's anger dissolved back into grief. Tears flowed from his eyes as he allowed his mother to comfort him and a gentle rain began to fall.


	7. Chapter 7

In the months since Sophia's death, he had felt empty, almost numb. Sometimes anger or sadness would hit him, but it was as though a part of him refused to fully accept that she was gone, having died a senseless death at the hands of her own father.

He was also exhausted. Tired of crying, tired of being told that she was in a better place, and tired of hearing that he was young and would find love again. He supposed that might be true, someday. Right now it seemed impossible. Those words felt like a hand twisting the knife in his heart.

The day he testified against Dale Menton in court was hot and humid, and Miguel felt soaking wet in his dark suit. It had been painful to recount the horrifying details of Sophia's death, and humiliating to be forced to give the explicit details of their relationship in front of the entire courtroom. The way the public defender spoke to him, he felt like he was the one on trial. He felt like the justice system was rubbing salt in an already irreversible wound.

The ride in the car was silent and when they arrived home Miguel went straight to his room and shut the door. He loosened his tie, pulling it off, and examined it for a moment, almost smiling. He had managed to find a purple one, just like Sophia would have loved. Taking off his suit coat, he laid back on his bed. He was emotionally drained and felt as though his body had run out of tears.

There was a small knock at his bedroom door. "Come in," he answered.

Ali, who must have just arrived home from school, entered quietly. "Hi Miguel," she said softly. "How did it go today?"

He hesitated. "Well, first I had to describe Sophia's death all over again. For some reason life just keeps punishing me."

"Did Mom and Dad say anything on the way home?"

"No, thankfully. But I'm sure they weren't thrilled to find out in a courtroom that I slept with her."

Ali sat on the edge of his bed and then laid down beside him, resting her head on her hand.. "Remember when we were little kids and how scared I'd get when there was thunder? I'd come running in here and try to sneak in with you so I wouldn't be alone."

He laughed for a second, for probably the first time since Sophia. "You were trying to sneak in back then? If thats true you'd make a terrible ninja."

She slugged him playfully. "Anyways, you'd always tell me not to be scared, that the noise was just angels bowling." They both laughed at that memory. "You've always looked out for me over the years. I know I tease you sometimes. Well okay, I know I tease you a lot, but I can't imagine having a better big brother. You've always been there for me, and I want you to know that I'll always be here for you." She took his hand and squeezed it.

He squeezed her hand in return. "Thanks, Ali."


End file.
